(PG-13 for some disturbing images and smoking). Voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. At Kendall Square, Cambrid...

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THE WIND RISES

(PG-13 for some disturbing images and smoking). Voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. At Kendall Square, Cambridge. Grade: B+

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A bio-pic about the designer of the Japanese Zero wouldn’t seem to lend itself to a two-hour-plus animated flick, but with the immortal Hayao Miyazaki at the controls it becomes a bit of magic. To fully enjoy “The Wind Rises,” though, you must get past the truth that aeronautical-engineer extraordinaire Jiro Horikoshi was indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans during World War II. No easy task. In fact, I found the idea of glorifying his legacy repellant on first viewing. But after a second look, it becomes clear that Miyazaki is painting (literally, since the movie is entirely hand-drawn) Horikoshi as a man who hated war but was driven by his intense love for building sleek, unconventional aircraft. But the aspect of the film that leaves a big lump in your throat is his doomed love affair with his gorgeous TB-ridden wife, Naoko.

Problem is that Naoko never existed. A cynic would say she’s just a tool to humanize the man who built the plane that killed thousands at Pearl Harbor. But I think it’s more of an obvious attempt to add melodrama and emotion to an otherwise bit of staid storytelling. Miyazaki also conveniently sidesteps any mention of the Korean and Chinese people enslaved by the Japanese government to build the plane. What saves it is Miyazaki’s trademark dreamlike animation, which never fails to mesmerize, especially the scenes depicting Horikoshi’s childhood fantasies about taking flight in bird-like aircraft that glide effortlessly through the bright azure sky. Equally a part of Horikoshi’s dreams are his imaginary meetings with Italy’s master airplane builder Gianni Caproni, reveries in which they discuss the dichotomy of building beautiful war machines designed with the ugly purpose of killing people. According to the Oscar-nominated film, it’s a morality question that haunts Horikoshi from childhood well into his career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, where he built and designed the Zero.

As for the voice talent, which includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Horikoshi and his “Looper” co-star Emily Blunt as Naoko, I cannot attest because the DVD provided for review is the original Japanese version. But I can say for certain that the rest of the English-speaking cast is outstanding, with Stanley Tucci, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Mandy Patinkin, William H. Macy and Elijah Wood among them. No matter the language, the true star of “The Wind Rises” is the breathtaking animation that screams out to be seen on a big screen. Most impressive is a vivid re-enactment of the devastating 1923 Tokyo earthquake. It’s both thrilling and heartbreaking to behold. Miyazaki’s also at the top of his game during a long sequence set at a mountain resort where Horikoshi gets his first taste of war and romance as Naoko enters his life for an all-too-brief period. It’s at this point when the film dips a bit too deeply into sentimentality and hoary cliches you’d never thought you see from the writer-director of “Spirited Away” and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle.” But when you hear talk of this being the 72-year-old animator’s final movie, it’s all the more reason to see “The Wind Rises” and bask in the shadow of one of Japan’s cinematic greats one last time.